High-internal-phase emulsions stabilized by red ginseng and white ginseng as a fat substitute in meat sausages: effects on texture, flavour, and digestive properties

Abstract This study investigated the effects of red ginseng (RG) and white ginseng (WG) on complex coacervate high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) stabilized by ovalbumin (OVA) and chitosan (CS) and their application in sausage fat replacement. Texture profile and rheological analyses demonstrated that the incorporation of RG and WG promoted interprotein cross-linking, significantly enhancing the centrifugal stability, pseudoplastic behavior, and viscoelastic moduli of the HIPEs, with 1% WG notably maximizing emulsion hardness and resilience index. By replacing 43.75% of pork backfat, the HIPEs effectively mimicked lipid functionalities and improved sausage texture. Furthermore, the RG and WG groups showed increased relative contents of alcohols and terpenoids, which corresponded with the reduced bitterness scores and enhanced flavor intensity. Notably, the 1.5%-RG group exhibited 2.21 times higher maximum digestibility, with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) cation radical scavenging capacities increasing by 1.21 and 1.15 times, respectively. This study provided a novel strategy for low-fat sausage development, expanded the application of OVA-CS composite coacervates in HIPEs, and highlighted the dual roles of RG and WG in HIPE stabilization and sausage flavor enhancement, which is of great significance for promoting the development and production of low-fat foods.